At the bottom of every bottle...

[Dissinger]

(Closed to Cyrus the Virus)

It could once be said that Seth wasn't a drunkard, but was an alcoholic. However, after witnessing his antics that night, people would more attest to the drunkard part, than the responsible alcoholic. He had lost Liliana, and it had driven him to drinking so bad that he was truly and wholly drunk. Not so much out of desire, but necessity. In his chest burned a hole, and the alcohol seemed to put out the fire.

Seth had finished what looked to be two bottle of ale, and had finally moved onto something harder as he hiccupped. Sipping form a random glass he looked a wreck, a giggling, (for it could be called nothing else) babbling wreck. As he looked about the room he spoke, his words flying out spontaneously, almost as if he could not keep them in, lest he explode.

"I tell you, the best women are in Alerar, I met a hooker there once that could make you blush with her mouth. Never went with her, but she certainly kept my friends happy for a long time afterwards..." He babbled. The person in charge of the bar that night looked at him a bit worried, his mouth being far raunchier than the normal tavern drunk. It was almost as if he had never been drunk, such was the way he acted.

He continued to babble randomly laughing long and hard after each round. Some of the people started to look at him in pity, some out of irritation, and some out of fright. The point of it was, that he was a nuisance while drunk. As he continued to drink he would always slap down enough gold to tread the line, but never enough to be truly forgiven. He continued to laugh as he said, "I tell you, its like that one wussy mage I fought back in the Theater of War, tried to use the obsidian walls, and damn was he stupid!"

[Cyrus the virus]

The Silver Pub had been a haven for the drunk and loud since it's conception, but rarely did a man become so disruptive that the rest of the tavern was silenced by his ramblings. Tonight was one of those nights. Each time Seth would speak the people around him would quiet down, to listen to whatever dopey sentence would spill from his mouth like sewage. He was an object of mirth for many, but to the impatient and volatile Luc Kraus, he was just a source of loud, annoying noises.

"How long can he continue ruin our night before you kick him out?" He demanded of the barkeep, leaning over the counter to Seth's right to get the man's attention. "Let him rot in the street for all I care, but I'm not going to listen to him spew words at high volumes all night! Either you put him out or I'll bury him in the earth outside."

The threat, coming from such a small man, would have seemed silly to any out-of-towners who were just there to witness it. Most in the tavern had knowledge of Luc and his magical prowess, however, and those who didn't quickly stifled their chuckles as they saw the expression on a nearby friend's face.

Seth's ramblings included him, oddly enough. Luc had no recollection whatsoever of that battle in the Theater of War, when he had been buried under a slab of obsidian that he had tried to use against Seth. Would he try it now, the piece of wall would have been like a leaf in the wind, a silly pawn to be manipulated by his power. It's amazing what a difference time could make.

But no matter how cemented into his mind the event had been two years ago, it was forgotten now, filed away in some warehouse deep in the recesses of the mage's mind. He forgot many things, but for Luc, forgetting a loss was even more common than forgetting breakfast from a week ago.

[Dissinger]

Seth was about the grab for another glass when he turned and spotted the young geomancer. He tilted his head this way and that as his drunken mind began to slowly turn the cogs in his head. A soft smile was upon his face as he began to remember something out of the mists of time, before it finally clicked. Moving to slap the man in a comradely way he said, "ITS MAGEY BOY!"

A few of the tavern goers snickered into their drinks at the affectionate name as Seth continued to rambled, "You were that guy I buried under that obsidian slab! Man, so stupid sitting there and hoisting it above your head! So, learn any new tricks?"

He reached for the glass like he was a fish out of water and drank it greedily as he giggled again. It was obvious tact was not a strong suit of the thief, but even more so in his intoxicated state. His words were harsh and unforgiving of those trying to figure out his motives. Feeling the beginning of a sobering session he groaned as he clutched a glass. Moving to drink greedily again he put the glass down before he said, "Whoa, the rooms spinning..."

Trying to get off his stool to try and properly go to the bed that had been calling his name long before his drunken debauchery, and he fell promptly to the ground and began to laugh. The comical situation only underlined by the pity that a few men gave towards one who would have to drink his life away like this to forget his pain. Once again snickers were hidden behind glasses of ale and various brews as the man sprawled out. The fit of giggles over he said, "I've fallen and I can't get up!"

A few bouts of laughter joined his own drunken giggling as he lay on the ground. Slowly he grabbed a stool and began to pull himself up as he said, "Someone stop the room, because I'd like to get off!"

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc shrunk away from the friendly slap, avoiding it as if the very touch from Seth's hand would infuse some disease into his own blood. The thief called to him affectionately, but the snickers from nearby tavern dwellers brought red to Luc's cheeks. He pressed his teeth together hard as his face darkened. He even ground his fingers together, rubbing the scales of his gloves against each other to create a grating sound that distracted him.

"New tricks?" Luc growled, almost laughing in his embarrassment and anger. "Oh yes, I've learned many new tricks... Come outside with me so I can show you them!"

Needless to say, the warehouse in Luc's mind was suddenly feeding him many images of that battle. Not only of that, but memories of many losses came flowing into him, as if released from captivity they flew into his mind. One loss led to another, to another, to another. It certainly didn't do anything for his mood.

Nothing like pride to bring the memories back.

"Good, you stupid clown," Luc said as Seth fell to the floor and stayed there. With Seth's fall, Luc felt as if he could win back some pride by making the thief look like the fool. The tavern could still be his! "Lay on the floor like a child, you drunken idiot. You hold your liquor like a sponge, it's sad really."

Bursting with confidence, Luc lifted his chin and gave a snooty humph. A few people in the tavern got on his side, also mocking Seth with several rude remarks and gestures, but it was clear to all but Luc that a great many people around him still thought the mage a fool. Making fun of a drunk man in such a petty manner was often not enough to win the respect of your peers, though of course Luc didn't realize that.

"Come on!" he demanded, determined to wide the wave of momentum he had suddenly created. "Outside, you drunk. I'll show you some new tricks."

[Dissinger]

"Awww, Magey boy, why you gotsta hate?" Seth began as he continued his ascension into the realm of the bipedal. His giggles causing a few of those irritated with his debauchery to make rude gestures as he finally slapped a hand on top of the bar and stood tall and as proud as a drunken Lavinian could be. Grabbing his drink he said, "Lead the way Magey boy!"

Before he took his stumbling steps towards the door, slowly as he held a hand out, the room still spinning as he said, "Hey, whoever keeps spinning the room stop it! It’s not funny!" His steps finally taking him to the door as he leaned out looking outside. He then looked at look, and deadpanned spoke, perhaps the most serious comment of the night, "Hey, there’s no tricks out there!"

Laughter erupted from the few men who found Seth humorous as he looked outside and called out, "Helloooo! Anyone out there?"

"We're in here," One of the guys called out. Snickers seemed to follow the thief as he looked outside still leaning.

Finally the words cut through the drunken haze as he heard the words. Seth whipped his head around as he said, "Really? I didn't know that, I better go tell Magey boy!"

He then looked at “Magey boy” before he said, "Hey Magey boy! They're in here!" He then pointed excitedly to the many patrons as the snickering continued. Seth was starting to sober up again, and so he took a deep gulp from his glass.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc was reaching his melting point, like a fine metal. Seth's antics were not only annoying him now, but they were going farther, as if a stick had been put into Luc's ear and was prodding at the back of his eyeball. Over and over. Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke.

It was enough to drive him mad with the desire to kill the man, but Luc still kept the presence of mind to want to do it right. Seth was drunk and stupid, if his death came too swiftly he wouldn't even have time to regret his foolish mistakes. If he didn't suffer, those who witnessed Seth's death might not get the point.

"Get outside!" He roared, his hands still twitching. Luc felt the need to push him, but instead forced himself through the door into the midnight darkness, leading the way. "I even came out first, so it's safe. You're not scared of the dark, are you? Of course not, now come out here!"

Already, Luc was devising several different methods of dismembering the thief. So many different ways of satisfying his anger, but so few measures he could take to make sure Seth didn't die too soon.

[Dissinger]

Seth looked outside as the angry mage rushed past him talking of his fear of the dark. He looked at his glass of liquid courage before he took a deep drink. A sigh escaped his lips as he smacked them together and said, "It’s too dark to see out there Magey boy! Why don't you come back in here and show us your tricks!"

He then moved to go outside before he moved up to the mage and patted him on the shoulder, "I mean come on, you don't want to show off your fancy schmancy magic and have no one see it right? That would just be stupid! Then again, I can't speak form experience I'm not you!"

More laughter erupted as the men looked out form the windows and doorway. The tavern had gathered around to watch as Seth was drunkenly trying to get the mage to come back inside. It was then Seth realized he had hit his limit. So much alcohol, and not enough food equaled a horrible equation for the thief. He groaned as he took a couple of steps away from the geomancer. Hitting the ground hard he vomited hard, throwing up the contents of his stomach.

The laughter died down to snickers as they watched the toxic purging of his system. He could not do anything if he tried other than vomit, to the point of dry heaves as he tried to throw up what was not there. Laying on the ground he looked pathetic as the lights of the tavern spilled out on the pool of vomit. He felt like he was going to die as he said, "Oh dear gods, just let it stop!"

[Cyrus the virus]

"Oh, I don't find it that dark," Luc responded in perfect calmness, drawing his dagger and walking to the building opposite of the tavern. Releasing the weapon, he used his power to have it levitate halfway up the wall, where it plunged its own handle into the wood. By his command, the dagger suddenly erupted into flames, creating a makeshift roof over their heads to illuminate the entire street in beautiful, flickering orange light.

Flames were cascading down around them, in front of them, on to them, but Luc didn't pay any mind to the hot little droplets. Passively, his powers would flicker out any of the embers that would do him harm, almost as naturally as brushing an ant off of his arm.

"Look at you," Luc remarked, for as he was creating the fiery display above them, Seth had begun to vomit violently. "You look like a common, diseased rat in the street, sick off of the garbage you found under the steps."

He thought for a moment, remembering bits and pieces of the Seth he had once done battle with. A grin came over him as he recalled these things. "Right, I'm beginning to remember now. All you are is a rat from the streets, yes? You lived your life by stealing your water and bread from harmless families and honest merchants, didn't you?"

Luc laughed aloud; as he realized he had the entirety of the Silver Pub listening to him ridicule Seth. "And now you're swimming in your own stomach fluids, destined to die as you've always lived... A silly little rat, stewing in his own filth."

Silence in the streets. No more laughter from the men and women at the Pub, at least no for now. The only sound was the slow beating of the fire above, which Luc maintained by keeping only a bit of focus on his dagger. He doubted Seth would need all of his attention anyway.

"I'm being far too courteous by offering you this, considering the way you've ruined my quiet night, but I'm giving you the chance to stand up and accept your fate like a man," he offered, smiling in a way that just begged for a punch. "You'll die a rat regardless, but you may die a standing one."

[Dissinger]

Seth heard the words, echoing somewhere in the cavern that had previously been occupied by his brain. Inside his head he heard the voices, they were soft, seductive, and each one was wishing different things of him, the voices spoke out. Some agreed with the mage, some disagreed, the insults flying faster and faster as he pulled himself somewhat together, managing hands and knees.

Street Rat!

Traitor!

Demon!

Murderer!

Each one rang out in his mind, and each brought a different flavor of dissatisfaction. Soon however his head snapped up and he met Luc's eyes. A raging inferno burned in them as he pulled himself to his feet. He had reached the bottom and now he had a decision, either to break out the shovel, or begin climbing back out. He had lost Liliana, he had destroyed the name of Dahlios, he had claimed he would never want life, and the one who took it form his was welcome to it.

But today was different.

Today was the beginning of a new era. As he stood up he dusted himself off, his gate akimbo, looking foolishly off, as if while purged, still drunk. For the most part this was true, but now...now he was sober. His reaction times were off, and his reflexes were shot to hell, but he was going to teach this brat of mage what it meant to cross Seth Dahlios.

"Can you even kill a man? Back in the Theater of War, you threw temper tantrums just like this one, and each time you couldn't bring yourself to just ending it. You tried another trick, another ploy to make it end so you wouldn't have to kill me..." His words, sounded strangely sober, almost serious as his hair hid his eyes.

When he brushed the hair back to look at the mage, only now remembered vaguely as Luc Kraus he spoke, "Tell me Kraus, if I were to give you one shot to kill the Lavinian Demon, could you kill me? Or would you hide behind the fear of ending another's life, and simply try to scare me, because as you can see here, I got nothing left to lose..."

He had nothing left to lose, and it showed as he fought to keep himself standing. The drink had taken much out of him, but he knew he could beat the mage, if he was smart...

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc held his composure so well, a Radasanthian play actor would have been proud. His eyes were level and calm, but of course on the inside, Luc was a tornado of rage. Nothing got to him more than a well thought out insult on his character or persona, and Seth, despite all his drunken ramblings, had managed to spit some truth. Luc knew it and could deal with the facts, but it was the idea of the others knowing, the tavern dwellers and the common folk, that horrified him. He tried to come across as strong willed, but even Luc felt that some of his threats were forced and empty.

Having these things declared aloud was something he could hardly stand, but a strong resolve kept his feelings hidden. "There are differences between us," he said slowly, enunciating each word carefully. "You can say whatever you like, but there's one truth you can't deny. I might remember your face, but I don't know anything else about you."

"You know my name," Luc said bitingly. "But I don't know yours. You're just another face among a sea of images, a worthless rat in Radasanth's streets."

Luc was beyond determined to show that his fear of killing could be overcome. He was lost somewhere between the desire to be feared, and the need to remain human. Still, he did not hesitate to lift his arms into the air and call a sinking, reaching hand from the sheet of flames above, digits reaching for Seth in an attempt to grab and squeeze the life from the thief, burning him at the same time.

[Dissinger]

Seth grinned as he closed his eyes, the heat from the hand washing over him as he sighed softly. It helped relax tensed muscles, and dried the vomit and bile on his face, but he knew one thing Luc didn't, he was no fool. He wasn't a rat, if anything; he was the nightmares that kept the children in line. In Lavinya, you did as you were told, or Boogeyman Dahlios would come and kill you, and no one would cry...

"The differences between you and me Kraus, is I knew the importance of a name. Seth Dahlios is a well known name, to the cretins of this tavern, and they know what I know. The question is, do you know the importance of that name? Or are you going to hide in your ignorance?" He said as he stepped back from the hand as it tried to grasp at him, his stumbling gate kept aloft by his balance as a thief. Still no daggers were drawn.

"I don't need my daggers to kill you Kraus; you have no concept of what I could do to you. Don't worry, before this is over, you will...However, you were right about one thing, my life is worthless, but it isn't yours to take." He said firmly. He then held his hand out palm up before he said softly, "Your life is passing you by Luc Kraus, too bad you didn't have the foresight to keep your childish temper in check..."

Energy crackled over his skin as it crawled up his legs, through his hair and down his arms. Grey bolts of lightning that seemed to coalesce in front of him, in the palm of his hand. The energy malicious and a soft grey, almost hinting at the problem they would cause. With the casual flick of his wrist, the orb shot forward fast as the speeding arrow right at Luc Kraus' chest, the insufferable smirk on his face.

[Cyrus the virus]

"Your name will be forgotten, just like everyone else's. Any fool idiot with a weapon can be a killer," he said, being very sure to choose his words properly. "But it takes someone of higher caliber to forge a legacy. You're a single word in Althanas' history, but I've reached the pinnacle of power... I have only begun to write my book."

The projectile flew his way rather quickly, but Luc thought he could deal with it, enacting a very small barrier of wind to absorb the impact. The grey orb exploded, but Luc hadn't counted on the attack forming into tendrils, reaching around the barrier, and hitting him anyway. It seemed that the magic had reacted strangely with his own, but Luc found that forming thoughts on what had happened was difficult.

What was happening? He suddenly felt sluggish and stupid, but not hurt. Luc's mind was constantly running at a mile a minute, weaving spells and manipulating the elements. With his body slowed and his mind similarly affected, he could hardly hold a thought in his head.

He did, however, keep the presence of mind to use his Stoneskin enchantment to protect himself. Whatever was happening, Luc wanted to be protected until it wore off.

Whimpish tactics, Luc thought. Manipulating the body and mind in order to tilt the advantage in his favor... I don't remember him being able to do this.

[Dissinger]

"If only it were so simple Kraus, if only it were so simple," Seth said almost sadly as he watched the geomancer turtle. Smirking he said, "You think that can protect you from pain? That your defenses will be unable to be penetrated? All you are doing is inviting more disaster..."

He then smirked as he staggered towards Kraus, his precarious balance holding as the tavern watched in awe. Something had changed in Seth and he seemed to be far different form the drunken fool they had ridiculed. As Seth moved up to Luc he tried to look Luc in the eyes as he spoke, "You think you know pain? Know suffering? I do, and I assure you, you don't know the true meaning of pain..."

Let's see you hide form the pain when it carves into your skull. How about being branded like a common murderer, when all you were guilty of being was a thief? He thought as he focused on the red hot brand, that had burned into his shoulder the mark Scara Brae gave to those condemned to die. It had been wrong of them to so hastily brand the thief, and yet he had earned the mark within a year of receiving it. He had hid it for so long, but even now, he could clearly remember the event that had given it to him.

Focusing on the pain he tried to force it into his spell Eye for an Eye, one that Mordechai had used on him before he threatened to kill him. So many mistakes, so many wrong turns on the path of life, and he was going to try from here on out to straighten them, he just had to survive through the fight.

[Cyrus the virus]

Something strange came over Luc then, a euphoric feeling that made him feel distant and separated from his own body. Combined with the strange slowness, the feeling made him feel dizzy and somewhat sick. No memories flashed back to him, oddly enough, but blackness veiled his vision. Though he couldn't see anything, he felt the horror of a particular memory coming back to haunt him, though he couldn't remember what memory it was.

He screamed and fell to his knees, not visually recalling the memory, but simply the horror of it. In an experience apart from this, Luc would never have thought that he had experienced anything traumatic as a child besides the event with the Adept Six, a group of teachers at his magic school that stole his power.

It was always odd that he didn't have many cherished memories of his parents, friends or any other family. Perhaps something had happened to block these things out, but it didn't matter right now. What mattered was dealing with the incredible emotional pain, which Luc screamed to try and drive away.

He tried to focus on Seth, another object of anger for him. He looked past the strange memory (or lack thereof, whatever) to remember Seth's words and intentions. Nobody embarrassed Luc Kraus and got away with it so easily. "Yes," he said through clenched teeth, as he stared at Seth through squinted eyes. "That's right."

Finally, after what had felt like an eternal struggle, Luc rose to his feet. He still moved slowly due to the Hexes, but wasn't all too harmed. But he wasn't confident in mounting an attack just yet due to the strange slowing, so he tried to buy some time. He did, after all, still have his Stoneskin enchantment on.

"Interesting magic you've got," Luc said genuinely. "It's something I've never seen before. What is it called?"

Of course he was curious, but still Luc did not have any intention of abandoning his desire to slay the thief. The issue of his blocked memories could wait, but it was nowhere near forgotten.

[Dissinger]

He watched as the mage slumped to his knees before he screamed. A soft snort left him as he saw the mage's reaction. He wasn't sure what had happened, but the pain he had given Luc wasn't physical, he should have been clutching his shoulder. It seemed this was a deeper pain, far more traumatic. Still he had no time to ponder it as the mage was once again on his feet. Looks like I've expanded the repertoire... He thought distantly before the sounds of bone and stone upon metal could be heard, Spite and Malice had entered the fray.

"You're out of your league Kraus, just say you won't kill me and we can end it. You want to hit me, I'll give you the hit, I'm more than certain I deserve it, but to kill a man over drunk insults? You're no better than me if you stoop that low, and as much as I like company in the basement of humanity, I doubt you want to drop there," He said firmly trying to force the Mage to back down.

With those words he finally moved, sliding behind the mage, feeling the nausea well up once again as he slipped slightly, but with thiefly precision caught himself, crouching low as the dust from the road rose up like a curtain, heading far and away from the combatants. His hand steadied him as it clutched Spite, and then he was off. He had to do something to scare the mage off, he had to make him stop his downward spiral before one of them got killed, either Luc for pushing Seth too far, or him for not trying hard enough to deter the wayward mage.

Speeding forward as with a twirl the titanium Malice, and the Dragon Bone Spite moved to punch through the hard packed dirt. He was aiming not for vital locations, as he knew now roughly where they were, but instead to slow him a bit more permanently, aiming for hip and shoulder he lunged forward, pushing the daggers with all his might into one strike.

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc grunted through the strain of the slowness. Even though he wasn't trying to move, the feeling that he weighed more than a hundred pounds more just wasn't comfortable. Seth ignored his question and hurled his own words Luc's way, making the mage even redder in the face than he'd been earlier. The thief drew his weapons and came to strike, just as Luc felt the weight being lifted from him.

But still he made no move to dodge; the dull green glow that surrounded him would make sure he was not hurt. Instead, Luc adjusted and spread his arms out wide. Seth's strikes bounced harmlessly off of his body, repelled by the magic of the barrier.

He reacted quickly, creating a small wind current around each of his hands. Suddenly Luc leapt back and brought his hands forward, merging the air into a beam-like tunnel of wind that tore toward Seth. The attack wasn't lethal by any means, but the mage thought it would effectively knock the thief back long enough for him to come up with another attack.

Do I even want to attack any more? Luc wondered to himself in that brief moment. After all, if I do manage to kill him, I'll never know about that strange magic he uses.

The fire above them died down, and the dagger fell from the building to clang against the ground. "I've lost my heart for this," he said solemnly, picking up his dagger and slashing it against his arm to remove the final Stoneskin layer before sheathing it.

"Oh come on!" Called someone from the tavern's porch, a masculine guy with beer in hand. "I thought you were gonna kill the guy!"

"What a waste of time," said another man. "Little fire tricks and some wind magic, I thought Luc Kraus was supposed to be some powerful wizard! What a letdown."

Luc watched the people frown and mumble among themselves, clearly disappointed. He wanted to say something, and even managed to start a few sentences, but ultimately he could not come up with anything. He simply watched as they filed back into the tavern, eyes glazed and mouth agape.

A deep sigh escaped his lips after a moment had passed. He could hear the people inside, talking and resuming their night as if nothing special had happened. Luc was crestfallen, not to mention confused.

[Dissinger]

A sigh of frustration left Seth as his attacks bounced harmlessly off of the dirt barrier. Backpedaling he was aided when Luc turned to face him, back at full speed and brought full blows to bear, the winds buffeting the thief. Crossing his arms in front of him he was shoved back a couple of feet before the night became visibly darker, the fire dagger going out. As he waited daggers held loosely he watched as Luc announced his distaste for the fight.

Soon as they had gone inside he sagged visibly falling to a knee as he clutched his stomach. The contents of it were still sloshing about in a rather nauseating way. With a groan he shook his head before he clutched it tightly, "Last time I drink ale in bottles, that’s for sure..."

With a casual twirl of his daggers he sheathed them in a practiced manner, not even looking down as he kept his gaze on Luc. He could see him cringe at the taunts and comments from the crowd before he snorted softly as they continued their night. Moving to slowly get up he stretched and took deep breathes of the cold night's air before he said, "I'll tell you one thing, if there is one thing I hate, it's the hypocrisy of the human race. I may be at the edge of it, but I doubt that they realize how much they contradict themselves."

It was the first time he remembered fondly speaking of the fact that he probably wasn't full blood human. The magical blood coursing through his veins giving him ample reason to act non-human, but he still held with his upbringing. Even if he wasn't full human, he would still act human, even if he wasn't one. As he looked at Kraus he knew that there were a lot of questions between them before he moved to reenter the tavern. A few looks and shouts at Seth could be heard as he grabbed his pack and cloak. Pulling the cloak on he sighed as he ran a hand through his wild brown hair.

Grabbing his gear he prepared to go as he dropped gold on the counter to pay for his drunken debauchery in full.

[Cyrus the virus]

"I can't fault anyone for being a hypocrite," Luc replied quietly as Seth made his way into the tavern. Thankfully Luc hadn't left any of his own belongings in there, for he didn't really feel like going back in.

He was sure that he could hear several excited voices congratulating Seth on what they saw as a victory, and the cheers just made him feel worse. It was indeed an emotional triumph for the thief, but even Luc, ever concerned with his image, couldn't muster up enough feeling to be angry about the loss.

The mage was still standing there when Seth came out, carrying his things and looking far more sober than he had before. Away from the prying eyes of common folk in a bar, Luc felt stupid for reacting the way he did, especially now that he realized that Seth used a unique magic that intrigued him.

"I shouldn't have attacked you," Luc said. "Maybe I think too much about how I can become important to this world that I try to get a victory out of every opportunity that presents itself."

"Your magic hurt my heart, but I can't remember... Why it hurt. What was that ability that you used?"

[Dissinger]

Luc spoke and offered an apology before Seth stopped and looked at him a brief smirk on his face before he spoke, "It takes a strong man to admit when they're wrong, and you're far stronger than I Kraus..."

He heard the mage ask his question, the words ringing in the air as he had tried to continue walking past the mage. His eyes closed as he was half tempted to keep walking, and leave the mage in front of the tavern wondering. As he sighed he put the cloak around his shoulders before he spoke, "Eye for an Eye. Its a spell that usually lets me force my greatest experience of pain onto another. I had been branded with a death mark, and I figured it was more pain you could take. I was right, but in the wrong way, it usually deals in physical pain, but tonight, it hit your heart rather than your mind..."

He looked over his shoulder at Luc, "My magic is all petty and bitter. It deals with me tearing my opponent apart, supplementing my abilities with the blades on my daggers. I make them feel my pain, and I feel more alive knowing how...strong I am for surviving such pains..." The word strong held bitterness unmatched by even his homeland's brews, a personal self loathing at his path in life. As he closed his eyes and began to walk forward he said, "You'd be better of not pursuing my magic, if you even can..."

He continued to walk as he pulled the hood on his cloak up, trying to reach Radasanth for a room. He wasn't sure what the mage would do, but now he just wanted to rest. He was to have an appointment with the local chamber pots in the morning, and he didn't want to be late.

(Spoils request: Eye for and Eye has adapted to those with physical pain tolerances that are high. In rare instances (read: when me and my opponent agree) Eye for an Eye can cause emotional pain, rather than physical pain.)

[Cyrus the virus]

As Seth spoke, Luc began to grow more aware of his ignorance. He fancied himself as some sort of magic scholar, but actually only new of a few types of magic. This new type was interesting, even somewhat frightening, and was something he wanted to learn more about. It became even more intriguing when Luc was told that Seth's Eye For An Eye had effected him differently that it was supposed to, targeting the mage's memories instead of Seth's. Perhaps it was because Luc's memory was more painful to him, or maybe being blocked had drawn the magic in a strange way.

At any rate, Seth was soon on his way. Luc wasn't planning on pursuing the type of magic for himself, but he was more than interested in learning it and understanding more. "How interesting," he reflected aloud. He knew of a magic scholar or two, and was considering visiting one of them to try and get more insight.

Then there was the issue of his blocked memories. He hadn't thought of his parents in years, having left them behind long ago, but when he tried to picture them or even remember the circumstances which he left under, he simply couldn't. It was a frightening feeling, to say the least.

He let another sigh escape him before his form exploded into wind, whisking away through the sky in the direction of Concordia using his Windwalk spell. This manipulative magic had gotten his interest.

Never had a night at the Silver Pub been so negative and productive all at once...

[Storm Veritas]

JUDGMENT TIME!

Interesting battle gentlemen, although I'll score it as a quest because I think the battle system needs some tinkering, If you want it rejudged as a battle, I'd be happy to do so. I've got a lot of comments, but they set well into the different categories.

Introduction- 6 Well written, concise, effective. Both of you were clever, I thought Dissinger had some terrific moments here, and Cyrus responded very well.
Setting - 4 Very inconsistent. At times good, but often disregarded.
Character - 8 Easily your strongest element in this quest. Morality issues, internal struggles, motivations, and conceptual dealing. Very well done here.
Dialogue - 5 At times good, but there was WAY too much dialogue at the point of battle, and it felt very forced. I appreciate a bit of candor, but having people continuously yap at each other while they are fighting is a bit unrealistic. That magic is tiring!
Writing Style - 4 Well below the best I've seen from both of you. Very careless with editing, there were a large number of typos, especially in the earlier posts. Also, Seth's magic style doesn't sit very well. It isn't really explained as it is happening, and references to spells, items, etc in the profile need to be a bit better explained. As a judge, I have no problem reading your back story, but it's unrealistic to expect the casual reader to understand what is going on without explicitly explaining it.
Rising Action - 6 Not great, not bad. I thought all the talking dragged the thread out and made it a bit dissastisfying.
Strategy - 6 Very limited due to the length and depth of the thread (or lack thereof). I did really enjoy the creativity of using guilt and emotional damage, as well as Cyrus' reaction to the assaults. That was clever.
Climax - 5 Middle of the road all the way.
Conclusion - 4 A little too tightly wrapped. It felt like the end of a sitcom the way you two kissed and made up.
Wild Card - 5 Still better than many, if not most, but a far cry from your best efforts here.

Total Score - 53

Dissinger receives 1850 EXP and the ability.
Cyrus receives 1470 EXP and 100 Gold.

[Thoracis]

Rewards Added.

We have a newly level 8 Hex Mage! Congrats buddy.